


A Little Weakness

by stopdropanroll



Category: One Piece
Genre: Friendship, Insecurity, Light Angst, Mental Health Issues, Oneshot, Pride in your weaknessess, Usopp has friends, Usopp is insecure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:20:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29829672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stopdropanroll/pseuds/stopdropanroll
Summary: Usopp's musings on the relationships he has with his crewmates.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 19





	A Little Weakness

Usopp knows how to be weak. He knows how to let himself bend so he won’t break, and he knows when to let himself break so he could be made into something new. A calculated destruction. 

It was paradoxical that he could be both proud of this trait and hate himself for it. Proud that he didn’t have to spend ridiculous amounts of energy covering up his emotions, ashamed of how stupid he looked when he screamed and cried while the rest of the crew stood tall. 

Sometimes, he felt the urge to hide this part of himself, as if they didn’t already know. As if they weren’t perfectly aware of how useless he was. But still, even as a part of him waited for the day when they would finally tell him on no uncertain terms that he was a waste of space and to get lost, he tried to let himself trust in their actions. 

How Sanji adds the perfect level of spice to his food to make his taste buds sing, and when Usopp tells him it’s good, his face goes just a little soft at the edges. Sometimes, when Usopp can’t sleep, he’ll sneak down to the kitchen to wait for morning. More often than not, the blonde’s footsteps will follow him up, and he’ll make both of them something warm to drink. Usopp is still amazed that he gets to see Sanji’s bedhead. 

Nami tests his inventions with him, smiling wide and wicked with him when they work perfectly. She asks to see his drawings, and giggles over the many embarrassingly accurate pictures of Zoro's muscles and Sanji’s long long legs. Once, she commissioned him for a portrait of the entire crew. She’s so happy with it, he isn’t sure how to handle it. 

Chopper always patches him up, no matter how insignificant his wounds are compared to Luffy or Zoro, and never makes him feel bad when he hurts his nose. The reindeerman asks him to tell stories, and Usopp can’t help but feel a little touched that someone wants to listen. 

When the anxiety gets to be too much, to the point that can’t look them in the eye, he reminds himself that he was the one who had left them before. The guilt doesn’t make the dreadful anticipation leave, but it does help him feel more prepared. More calm. If they told him to leave one day, would he go? Even as he tries to imagine it, over and over, he doesn’t know. 

Brook sings with him sometimes, and although Usopp’s voice isn’t really anything special, he never seems to mind when the melody is a bit flat. One solemn night, he had let Usopp hold his precious violin. He tried to teach him a few notes, but he hadn’t been able to draw forth anything resembling music. Brook had just patted him on the shoulder, and thanked him. What for, Usopp didn’t know.

Robin brings him books on plants and gives him advice when he’s lost. She has a surprising sense of humor, darting in with a quick quip to embellish one of his stories. He loves making her laugh. Her eyes are so dark at times, remembering things he doesn’t want to imagine. To make her forget those horrible things, just for a few moments, is a treasure. 

Franky calls him bro, and talks for hours with him about mechanics or carpentry or anything their thoughts run across. The cyborg is always ready to get his opinion on a new schematic, even if Franky knows so much more than him. 

When he finds himself at their backs, he has to remind himself that it’s the perfect place for him. It’s where he’s meant to be, covering their asses. 

He tries to believe them when they tell him he’s worth something. It doesn’t work, but he still feels a tiny bit better. 

He’s so annoying. But even if he’s annoying, Zoro still puts up with his clinging. He doesn’t seem to mind when Usopp settles himself closer to his napping spot than strictly necessary, sketchbook in hand. The swordsman could probably murder him with his little finger, and yet, somewhere along the way, Usopp grew to understand that he wouldn’t. 

When Luffy looks at him, he’s reminded that he was chosen by the next Pirate King. To be his friend, to be his family. To be on his crew. 

Luffy often doesn’t seem mortal, always smiling, always determined, but Usopp knows that’s not true. His Captain has moments of weakness, of regret, just like he does. He may not understand the pressure of being the Captain of the Strawhat Pirates, but he does understand that responsibility over other people’s lives can be crushing. 

Luffy is a thousand times stronger than he could ever be, but sometimes, he needs a little help being weak. Usopp’s specialty. And so, with careful patience, he helps Luffy to collapse so that he can stand back up, every time.

He’s not so delusional to think that he’s unique in this, that among the entire crew, his is the only shoulder that their Captain cries on. And he doesn’t care. Insecurity or not, he’s happy. Happier than he could’ve been in Syrup village, or anywhere else in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspiration hit me at 3am and this happened. I love Usopp, honestly. Great hair. Great character!
> 
> Crossposted to ff. Criticism welcome.


End file.
